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Academic Year 2000/2001

Wesleyan in China, 1847-1949
ALIT 207 FA
Crosslistings:
EAST 207

Founded in 1831 as a Methodist college, Wesleyan soon became involved in missionary efforts to convert China to Christianity, with President Willbur Fisk playing a leading role. Moses White, class of 1847, was Wesleyan's first China missionary. His difficult experience is recorded in personal records, on file at Olin Library. Over the next 100 years, other alumni/missionaries made their contributions to Wesleyan's China presence, among them two presidents of Christian colleges. Only with the Communist takeover in 1949 did the last Wesleyan graduate return home. This course seeks to examine the history and implications of Wesleyan's China involvement. The first six weeks will set the stage, with readings on China's 19th- and 20th-century hi story and the missionary presence there. The second half will use a more hands-on approach, taking up records of individual missionaries and in college publications. We will be at pains to contrast the self-congratulatory tone of this publicity with the anti-imperialist rhetoric of Chinese Communism. We will also seek to set it in the context of Wesleyan's own development over its first 100 years.

MAJOR READINGS

Hersey, THE CALL Hunter, THE GOSPEL OF GENTILITY Holden, YALE IN CHINA Lutz, CHINA AND THE CHRISTIAN COLLEGES Potts, WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY, 1831-1910 Moses White file, Olin Library

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Three 3-5 page papers, one independent research paper of 8-10 pages.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS

Unless preregistered students attend the first class meeting or communicate directly with the instructor prior to the first class, they will be dropped from the class list. NOTE: Students must still submit a completed Drop/Add form to the Registrar's office.

COURSE FORMAT: Lecture

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD    Credit: 1    Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS AL&L    Grading Mode: Graded   

Prerequisites: NONE Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-26-2001

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